Red Bull chiefs knew Verstappen in the wrong, says Mercedes
Red Bull's senior management knew from the off that Max Verstappen was to blame for his crash with Lewis Hamilton at Formula 1's Italian Grand Prix, reckons Mercedes.
Verstappen was handed a three-place grid penalty for the next race in Russia after the stewards deemed he was predominantly to blame for the accident with Lewis Hamilton at Monza.
Red Bull's senior chiefs Christian Horner and Helmut Marko both insisted in the aftermath of the clash that it was nothing more than a racing incident.
But for Mercedes, well aware of how much Red Bull backs its drivers in controversial moments, it says it was telling how neutral its rival was on this occasion.
Mercedes' trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin said: "We obviously felt strongly that Lewis had done absolutely nothing wrong, and that Max was the one predominantly to blame.
"I think if you look at the fact that even Helmut and Christian weren't trying to blame Lewis, it sort of feels like they know Max was in the wrong, because they will try and blame Lewis at any opportunity."
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, looks on Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12 after colliding
Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images
Shovlin reckoned that the crash with Verstappen, which came as they both tried to recover from slow pitstops, derailed a good opportunity for Hamilton to go for victory.
"Ultimately, I think it cost Lewis a win and certainly a second place, as you'll always feel that three places is relatively easy to overcome if you've got a competitive car," he said. "But that's all in the past now.
"We need to make sure we put a good weekend together in Russia, and it's a place where the car should be competitive.
"But we've had pretty messy races for quite a long time now. The team needs to not get distracted and focus on delivering the kind of performance that we know we can, and the kind of performance that we need to, to win these championships."
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has stood by his belief that both Verstappen and Hamilton had roles to play in the crash.
"For me, having looked at it again, I felt that Max deserved a bit more space to be given at Turn 2," explained Horner.
"I think Lewis gave him enough space through Turn 1, and then into Turn 2, then it just felt he could have given him a bit more room to work with.
"I'm sure the other guy will argue it the other way. But I think, when you look at it objectively, you have to say, it is a racing incident."
Previous article
Why Ricciardo would have won without Verstappen/Hamilton crash
Next article
Portimao added to F1 2021 video game in first major update
Zak Brown on the historic Monza win
Andreas Seidl on McLaren winning at Monza
The squandered potential of a 70s F1 underdog
A podium finisher in its first outing but then never again, the BRM P201 was a classic case of an opportunity squandered by disorganisation and complacency, says Stuart Codling.
The other notable Monza escape that F1 should learn from
OPINION: The headlines were dominated by the Italian Grand Prix clash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who had the halo to thank for avoiding potentially serious injury. But two days earlier, Formula 1 had a lucky escape with a Monza pitlane incident that could also have had grave consequences.
How Monza only added more questions to F1's sprint race conundrum
With two sprint races under its belt, Formula 1 must now consider its options for them going forward. While they've helped deliver exciting racing on Sundays, the sprints themselves have been somewhat lacking - creating yet another conundrum for F1 to solve...
Who should Alfa Romeo sign for 2022's F1 season?
OPINION: With Valtteri Bottas already signed up for 2022, all eyes are on the race for the second seat at Alfa Romeo next year. Antonio Giovinazzi is the current incumbent, but faces a tough competition from appealing short and long-term prospects
The "forced break" that was key to Ricciardo's Monza excellence
OPINION: Daniel Ricciardo has long been considered one of Formula 1's elite drivers. But his struggles at McLaren since switching from Renault for 2021 have been painful to watch at times. Yet he's recovered to banish those memories with a famous Monza win – built on a critically important foundation
Italian Grand Prix driver ratings
Two drivers produced faultless performances as, for the second year in a row, Monza threw up an unpredictable result that left many to rue what might have been
Why Ricciardo would have won without Verstappen/Hamilton crash
The clash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton was the major flashpoint the 2021 Italian Grand Prix will be remembered for. Yet by this point, race leader Daniel Ricciardo had already done the hard work that would put him in position to end his and McLaren's lengthy win droughts, on a memorable afternoon in Monza
Why Italian GP success is on for McLaren even if Verstappen dominates
For the second time in 2021, McLaren will line up for the start of a grand prix from the first row. It knows it has the chance of "glory" if things go well for Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris at the start of the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, but even if they just maintain their grid positions, signs from the rest of the Monza weekend suggest success is very possible for Formula 1's other orange army
